


Conversation Hearts

by Bugaboo253



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Together, Richie is a stubborn dork, idk what else to write for tags, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 22:32:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17795984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bugaboo253/pseuds/Bugaboo253
Summary: For three years in a row, Richie has tried to ask Eddie out on Valentine's Day. Each time different and more extravagant than the last, but Richie always manages to fuck something up, right?





	Conversation Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first thing I've written for the IT fandom, and I almost posted it too late for Valentine's oh my goodness. It's still technically Valentine's, though, so I still got it! Thanks for checking it out, hope you like it. (I often don't edit things so if there are some typos, my apologies. I promise I know how to spell most of the time.)

Since they were in seventh grade, Richie and Eddie spent Valentine's Day together. They never had dates, for various reasons, or rather, various excuses. The whole Loser's club knew the real reason. The _only_ reason. They didn't _want_ a date, because they wanted to spend the holiday together. They'd never admit that, though. They just happened to be really transparent.

It was tradition for them, starting that year in seventh grade, for Richie to bring a box of those candy hearts for them to share on Valentine's. It started because, in middle school, most kids don't have much money, Richie included. He wanted to bring something with him when he was hanging out with Eddie, though, always a sucker for a romantic gesture, even if it was just for Eddie, his _friend._ That's _all._ So, he couldn't afford a big box of chocolates. He tried saving up, but it didn't work. He couldn't save enough for anything good. So, he bought two boxes of conversation hearts candies to share between the two of them, hoping Eddie would appreciate the gesture. Richie had been heartbroken when Eddie insisted, up, down, left, and right, that he hated those candies. He said they were gross. He'd still eaten them with Richie, though, feeling bad that he had been so rude, when Richie was just trying to be nice. From then on, Richie always bought conversation hearts candies for Valentine's.

It wasn't until Sophomore year in high school that Richie finally decided to make a move on Eddie. An actual move. He was going to do it. No dancing around it, no flirting that he always covered as joking so Eddie wouldn't find out. He was really going to do it… but in a vague way so he could say it was _totally_ an accident if Eddie asked. He was still scared, okay? He was fifteen, give him a break. Looking back, it was a shitty plan, it never would have worked, but he did it anyways. The plan was simple. Save a single candy for last, a very specific candy, and give it to Eddie. It would be one of the hearts that read, “Be mine?” He'd give it to Eddie as the last heart, and maybe Eddie would notice, and he'd get weirded out by Richie, and he could just say it wasn't intentional. Or, Eddie could notice, and immediately lean in and kiss Richie passionately and they'd be together forever. Neither of these things happened.

Richie went to Eddie's house again for Valentine's, they often switched between Eddie's house or Richie's, depending on how they felt, but this year, it was Eddie's. He shook the boxes of candies in front of him when Eddie opened the door, and Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Richie, those are still gross, and I tell you every year. Why do you insist on buying them? Surely you could have gotten something else this year?”

Richie just grinned. “Nonsense, my good man! 'Tis tradition! We must eat the heart candies!”

Eddie laughed at him and let him in, leading him to his room, calling him a dork all the while. They just sat in Eddie's room watching dumb romance movies all day, making fun of them the entire time. Also tradition. They ate the candies slowly, and Richie was sure to keep the one he wanted to give Eddie as the last one off to the side. He'd do it. It would work. They got to the bottom of the second box, and Richie added the specific heart back to the box, to make it look more authentic. He then took out the specific heart again and offered it to Eddie.

“Last one. Here you go.”

Eddie took it and just popped it right in his mouth. He didn't even look at it. Richie was devastated. All of his hard work, for nothing. It was then, though, that Richie vowed that he would ask Eddie out on Valentine's Day. He'd have to try again next year. He wouldn't do it a day before. He was determined, and very stubborn, and nothing was going to change his mind. Even when he told Beverly his plan. She had insisted that he shouldn't decide that he could only ask Eddie out one specific day of the year. She came up with so many different reasons why he shouldn't wait a whole year until the next time he tried, but Richie wouldn't listen. Valentine's Day was the most romantic day of the year, and Richie would be damned if that's not the day he asked Eddie out.

So, a year later, Richie had a plan, and it was a good one. It better have been a good one, he had a year to figure it out. He was going to make some cookies, designed to look like the conversation hearts, to keep with tradition. He bought everything he needed to bake them from scratch and got to baking. Once they were finished, he decorated them, leaving a few to write the specific message he wanted. It was a similar idea to the year before, but this one was better thought out and better planned, and it was more heartfelt, because it was all homemade.

Richie needed three cookies for the message, so each cookie would contain two words. So once all but three cookies were decorated, Richie started, with _extra_ care, to decorate the last ones. The first cookie read, “Will you,” the second, “go out,” and the third, “with me?” It was a brilliant idea, Beverly had told him herself. She'd been surprised he came up with it. She had offered to help with the baking, but Richie refused the help. He would do it all by himself. Once the cookies were done and fully decorated, he placed them specifically on the plate. The final three were on the bottom, so Eddie would see them last and love the cuteness and the romanticness of it all and profess his undying love for him. At least, that's what Richie hoped. Again, this is not what happened.

Richie went over to Eddie's house again for Valentine's that year, plate of cookies in hand. When Eddie came to the door, he presented the cookies to him with a flourish, causing Eddie to smile.

“Aw, Rich! You made cookies this year? That's awesome. No more of those disgusting candies, huh?” He grinned and let Richie in, and they went to Eddie's room and started their first movie of the night.

Richie was waiting for Eddie to take a cookie before he did, he wanted to see the reaction. He hadn't been expecting Eddie to spit out the first bite he took in disgust. He'd followed the recipe precisely! Eddie took a long drink of water to wash out the taste before looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“Richie, did you make those from scratch or did you get store-bought dough?”

Richie didn't like the sound of that. “I made them from scratch, I thought it would be more special if I had.” He wanted it to be more romantic that way.

Eddie chuckled softly. “They taste like sixty-percent salt, Rich.”

“Oh…” So, maybe Richie had accidentally added too much salt. It wasn't his fault! It looked like the recipe had said four tablespoons! Not one-fourth teaspoon. He needed new glasses anyways…

Eddie smiled softly at him. “I appreciate the gesture, Richie, but I am not touching anymore of those cookies.”

Richie felt his heart fall. “None?”

Eddie nodded. “None, sorry. They're just inedible. Maybe we can bake some together next year, that'll be fun! And I can make sure you don't pour a whole salt shaker into the dough. Right now, though, I think I should just throw these away.” Eddie got up and Richie followed. Eddie opened the garbage can in his kitchen and Richie saw as all of his hard work fall into the trash, catching a glimpse at one of the last three as it fell into the garbage, Eddie not looking at it once. Richie was so certain it would work. He was so excited for Valentine's Day, waiting and waiting so he could put the plan into action. He fucked it up again, though. They walked back to Eddie's room, and Richie huffed.

“Now, we can't even have tradition. I didn't bring any boxes because I thought the cookies would be good.”

Eddie grinned and went into his bedside drawer before pulling out a box and shaking it in front of Richie's face. “We at least have one box. I bought a couple of my own earlier this month to get ready for the holiday. They might just be growing on me.”

Richie grinned and pulled Eddie back onto the bed and they continued to watch their movies as they shared the single box. At least the holiday wasn't a total bust.

Richie couldn't help but wonder, though, after that day. Did the universe just not want Richie and Eddie together? Was it just trying to save Richie from rejection. Keep him from getting embarrassed? Was it fate telling him that he wasn't meant to be with Eddie? No, that can't be. He wanted to be with Eddie, and he hoped Eddie felt the same. He felt like he and Eddie we're meant to be, and his friends had told him as well. Maybe it just hadn't been time, yet. Maybe they needed to wait a bit. Next year would be his year, Richie knew it.

Only, the next year rolled around, and Richie had no ideas. He had a whole year to figure it out, but he had nothing. He knew it needed to happen this year, it felt _right._ They were graduating in just a few months after the holiday, and then who knew what would happen? Richie needed a way to be sure that he had at least one person that he was certain would stick around after they all left their old town. He wanted to be sure he'd have one person that remembered him, still. He hoped that person would be Eddie, and he wanted Eddie to stick by his side. It needed to happen this year. Richie didn't want to leave anything to chance. He was asking Eddie out, and that was final. He didn't care if he got rejected, it was happening. He knew if he didn't, he'd always ask himself what could have been. He would have regretted it forever. He needed to do it. This year was the time. The day was coming up fast, though, and Richie couldn't think of anything. He was starting to get desperate. He had to talk to someone. Find someone to help. So he went to the first person he could think of. Beverly.

“Bev, please. You know how much this means to me. It needs to be perfect. I'm going all out for this one. Double or nothing. I'm all in. Go big or go home. You get the picture. I just don't know what to do.”

Richie had felt as though the year before had been his best idea yet. He made cookies! Amazing! He never made anything! And they were hearts candies themed, and Richie loved the touch of familiarity in it for the both of him and Eddie. It added that knowledge that Richie really thought about it, and put a lot of thought into it.

“Richie, have you ever thought of, I don't know, just asking him out?” Beverly asked him.

Richie sighed. “No, Bev! It needs to be a big, _huge_ romantic gesture. Or else I won't be happy with it. And I want it to have something to do with those heart candies. It's our tradition, and I feel like it'll be a little more romantic if I do that. I just can't think of _anything._ Please help me.”

Beverly rolled her eyes, but she kept quiet as she thought, eventually humming when she got an idea, and grinning. “I think I might have just the idea. Heart candies included. If you want it to be big, though, you'll have to come up with more in order to get it there, but I have an idea to help push inspiration along.”

And so, they put the plan in action. It was both simpler than his plan from last year but also more extravagant. Exactly what Richie needed. It also was straight and to the point, which he _really_ needed, because the past two years did not work for him. He needed it to work out this year. He really did. So, they set it up, and Richie was ready when Valentine's Day came, and Eddie got to his house for their day together. He got really nervous, though, when he saw Eddie pull up to his house. What if he did reject him, and Richie ruined everything between them? Beverly had assured him he wouldn't ruin anything, but how could she be so sure?

When Eddie got to Richie's house, he just walked right in, the way he always did. Richie always knocked before Eddie would let him in at his house, but Richie insisted that Eddie just walk into Richie's house every time. When he opened the door, he saw a path of some Hershey's kisses lead from the door and into the hallway. Eddie chuckled softly and he looked around.

“Rich?” Eddie called out. No answer. Interesting. He followed the path that the kisses made, picking them up as he went. He turned into the hallway and saw that it went down and into Richie's room. He kept following and picking up the kisses, assuming the path would stop once it got to Richie's room and it was just some funny little thing he decided to do. The path kept leading further into Richie's room, though, and Richie still was nowhere to be seen when Eddie walked in. He saw that the path lead to the bed, so Eddie made it there, set down all the kisses he collected, and noticed a note on the bed, made from a piece of red construction paper cut into a big heart. The first thing Eddie noticed was the hearts all glued on, but it wasn't until he read it that he understood.

The note read:

_Eddie, "my love,”_   
_I am writing you this note to tell you I am "crazy for you." I've tried doing this for three years now, but I could never really "get lucky" with my attempts. I knew I wanted to ask you out on Valentine's, though, that's when I have the most courage, apparently, and it's the most romantic day of the year, so they say. I always "dream" at night that you'll "be my baby," only to wake up and find it isn't true, and it breaks my heart. You are "beautiful," "gorgeous," and such a "cutie-pie." You mean so much to me, and it would make my year if you would say yes. So, I'm here to ask... Will you "be mine?"_ _  
_"XOXO," Richie.

Eddie couldn't believe it. He was blushing like a fool as he put the note down and looking around the room again. “Richie! Where are you, you goddamn idiot?”

Richie popped out of his closet and looked at Eddie, nervously. He was afraid that was a negative response from him. "Uh... here?"  
  
Eddie ran to him, wrapping his arms behind his neck tightly, and he pulled him into a close hug. Richie stayed silent, not wanting to fuck up the moment. When Eddie pulled back from the hug, he pulled Richie immediately into a kiss, which he quickly reciprocated. When Eddie pulled away, he grinned up at Richie. "You're such a dork."   
  
Richie beamed. "But is that a yes? Will you go out with me? Be my boyfriend? Be _mine_ ?"   
  
Eddie nodded excitedly with a little laugh. "Of course, you nerd. I've been hoping you'd ask me for forever, now. You better have more of those candies, though, that's tradition. We can't miss it this year."   
  
Richie pulled out a box and shook them. "Don't worry, Spaghetti, I always come prepared." He winked. He then let out a soft huff of a laugh. “And I've been _trying_ to to this for years, now. I said so in the little note. Those cookies I made you last year? The last three on the bottom of the plate read “Will you go out with me?” We just didn't have the chance to get to the bottom of the plate.”

Eddie giggled softly. “Aw, Richie… you really tried. You shouldn't have waited a whole year to ask me out again.”

Richie laughed. “That's what Bev said, but I had a _plan_ okay? You can also thank Bev for the idea of the note. I couldn't think of any way to tie in the conversation hearts, but I knew I had to. Tradition.”

Eddie smiled. “It was really sweet, and super creative. Did you at least some up with the message?”

Richie nodded. “Absolutely, that was all me.”

Eddie grinned. “Okay, good.” He then looked back at the bed. “What were the kisses for, though? I would have come to your room anyways, I didn't need a path of chocolates.”

Richie immediately slapped his forehead. “Fuck! I ruined it! I always manage to fuck something up each year, huh?”

Eddie looked at him, eyebrows furrowed. “Ruined what?”

“Wait! I can save it. I got this.” Richie cleared his throat and grabbed a kiss from the bed, presenting it to Eddie in the palm of his hand. “Now that I have kissed the ground you've walked on, my dear, Spaghetti, could I have the honor of getting to kiss you?”

Eddie giggled softly. “You already did, Richie. That's a horrible joke, too.”

Richie scoffed. “Excuse me, _you_ kissed _me_. And that was an amazing joke.”

Eddie shrugged. “Maybe you're right. Maybe I kissed you. And I'm about to do it again.” He leaned in and kissed Richie once more.

And nothing really changed the rest of the night. Well, except maybe a few kisses here and there, the chocolate kind, and the other kind as well. They were still just Richie and Eddie, best friends _and_ boyfriends now, still sitting as close as possible on Richie's bed, cuddling together while watching a movie. Nothing needed to change between them, other than the knowledge that they had something more than just friendship and the freedom to explore that. People always say you should be dating your best friend. They were. Love can be as simple as that, and Valentine's Day was all about love, afterall.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for making it to the end, I hope you enjoyed it! This was only my first fic for this fandom, I have plans for more, those will just take longer to write. You can also go follow me on tumblr @bentylershook and idk say hey, I guess.


End file.
